Concerta Side Effects

[Anonymous]

Hi, I’m recently diagnosed as having ADHD and have been on Concerta (18mg) for 4 days. i’m probably jumping the gun but..

At this point it’s making my head feel a bit weird. Not really a headache, but borderline, and also a heavy feeling. The best way to describe is if you’ve been drinking, and you get to the point where your head is in a funny spot, where another drink usually gets it over the hump. I’m also much more grumpy, but it could be contributed to the weird head feeling. Now, interestingly enough, soon after a release I feel good for a bit.

The world around me seems to “slow” down. Not quite a surreal feeling, but along those lines. A general calming feeling. However, I see NO difference in my concentration or focus.

I have much more nervous energy. As I write this my legs are crossed, and I’m “jiggling/swinging” it much more than usual.

I’m tired a lot, though I’ve read that usually improves. Right now I actually feel like I could nap. Clearly it’s not doing anything to help my motivation .

At release (or I assume it’s release) I get a tingly feeling. The heaviness in my head lifts for a little while, and I get a little energy boost.

Maybe it’s too soon to see an improvement in focus? I can live with everything else if that improves.

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[Anonymous]

Just to update… I think it’s right around 2 weeks that I’ve been taking Concerta now.

The headaches are finally gone. Thank goodness! The pressure it caused in my head is gone. Moodiness is pretty much gone as well. I rarely have the jitters on it now.

The positive, it helps with focus. Not dramatically, but I’m being moved up to 27mg this week. Some of the other things like emotions are more normal and even keeled.

I have trouble falling asleep on it. I toss and turn a lot now, too.

Overall though it’s moving things in the right direction.

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[sdwa]

Everyone reacts differently to medications. I think it’s normal for an adjustment to take a few days, but it shouldn’t make you feel BAD.

Concerta works great for me – but before I started taking it, I tried a number of other drugs, which I must say was not a pleasant experience. Ritalin made me feel like I had toxic syrup running through my veins – I felt slow and heavy, I had headaches, and everything seemed distorted in a sinister way. I don’t remember what all else I tried – a few different alternatives – but the experimentation phase truly was not enjoyable.

So, just to encourage you – hang in there. Maybe you’ll feel better on Concerta in a few days. If not, your doctor should be willing to work with you to find the right medication at the right dose.

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[Anonymous]

I have been on concerta for about 4 years now. I have tried everything but i find conserta works the best for me. sometimes i have to take a short acting ritilan in the morning with a concerta because 36mg is not quite enough but the next dose up is to much. but i will tell you that it is a very long acting med. and i find that if i wait to long to take it i will be up at night. it takes a good hour or so to kick in and i find even longer to where off. that is what i like about it because i don’t get that rush and crash. but again you should probably be careful

with taking it to late as far as your sleep problem. good luck

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[Anonymous]

Everyone has positive and negative experiences on medications so there is no one answer. Try watching the “Sponsored Videos”

http://totallyadd.com/sponsored-video-5-medications-alphabetically/

for some commentary on the different choices.

“Sunderwoodpug”: you mirror a lot of what people feel on Concerta with the need for a top up in the morning if necessary.

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[Anonymous]

I always suspected I had ADD. I was recently diagnosed with ADHD by a psychiatrist. I also suffer from depression. He prescribed me 36 mg. of Concerta and 20 mg. of Fluoxitine daily. I was already taking the Fluoxitine. One Day 1, the first part of the day was good. I couldn’t sleep at night. Day 2 was really tough, I was dizzy,had no appetite, and tired from lack of sleep, and trying to get through the day. I slept well that night. Day 3 was horrible, I had a headache, loss of appetite and dizziness. Day 4 was good. I did not work. I rested, did chores and errands, and began to feel in a better mood. Today, is day 5 and I feel great. I am more focused today than ever before. I got alot done in a less amount of time. I am sleeping deeply through the night and getting up early in the morning. Yesterday, I got alot done and was surprised it was only noon. I feel relaxed and at peace today. If I could live like this most of the time, it would be s God Send!!.

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[Anonymous]

Today, I am taking a day off from the Concerta because of vision problems. Mt vision is becoming more blurry to the point of being red, and watery. It has become hard to do alot of computer work. Today, my vision is improving. Could this be cause from dehydration?

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[Anonymous]

The dry mouth is driving me nuts. It seems to be my worst side effect. I do have issues staying asleep, but the dry mouth is the worst. Does that eventually wear off?

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[munchkin]

I don’t know about dry mouth, but I’m much more thirsty on Concerta. Could you be having a similar effect? Previously, I had the problem of never feeling thirsty and being chronically dehydrated. Now I’m drinking a healthy normal amount of water, and carrying a water bottle around with me all day. I feel healthier overall, and I notice that I have less problems with the Concerta dose peaking too high if I drink throughout the day. (If I don’t drink water or forget to eat lunch, I get really zoned out and overdosed at about 2pm, and this pretty much lasts the rest of the day)

Oh – I know you’re going to ask – yes, drinking does relieve the dry mouth/thirstiness for me – at least for half an hour or so. I’ve decided this is a positive side effect due to my normal lack of water consumption.

I’ve been on Concerta 54mg for about 2 1/2 months.

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[Anonymous]

Thank you! I drink all the time anyway but now I feel like I get no relief from the dry mouth. I take a drink and it wears off within a few minutes. I sure hope it gets better over time. It’s only been a week.

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[munchkin]

Yeah, a week’s really early on… I had some weird stuff for the first week or so each time they stepped up my dose. Hopeit gets better

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[Author]

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